The Minister for the Enviornment has it in his power to withdraw any proposal to take part of County Roscommon and include it in Westmeath is what I said in a debate in the Dail on Thursday night last.
This proposal just doesn’t make any sense. In the 1970’s Roscommon County Council set about developing the Monksland area without any Government help and they have done a great job over the years.There are now 1.000 people working in the area. Apart from the rates and other issues, the business people in the Monksland area do not want this proposal to go through. We heard it at the recent public meeting. The Minister and the Government have to realise the depth of feeling that there is on this issue on County Roscommon. The 1,500 people who turned up recently at a public meeting on this issue didn’t do so for the craic. People are very angry about this issue. I am appealing to the Minister today to do the right thing and withdraw this proposal before the election is called. This issue is above politics and every single public representative and party in Roscommon are at one on this issue. It is easy to solve this. Just withdraw the proposal and everyone will be happy.